1979 Roger DeCoster Motocross Mental & Physical Suzuki - Vintage Motorcycle Ad

Description

1979 Roger DeCoster Motocross Mental & Physical Suzuki - Vintage Motorcycle Ad
Original, vintage magazine advertisement
Page Size: Approx. 8" x 11" (21 cm x 28 cm)
Condition: Good
DeCoster Discusses:
One in a series of informal interviews with 5-fime 500cc MX World Champion Roger DeCoster.
Mental and Physical Conditioning.
Q—In order to be a competitive
motocross rider, you have to work
very hard at perfecting your
physical skills. What does your
daily workout include, Roger?
A—Before and during the Grand
Prix season, I work out five days a
week and usually start by doing
warm-up exercises like stretching,
deep knee bends and jumping jacks.
Then I go running for five or six
miles. I also like to do some bicycle
riding. This is very good exercise
for building up leg strength and
really adds to my overall endurance.
It is important to not miss a days
workout. There is a saying around:
if you miss one workout, only you
know; if you miss two workouts,
your competition knows; and if you
miss three workouts, the spectators
know.
Q—How do you mentally
condition yourself before a race?
A—I usually don’t like to talk too
much on a race day. I keep an eye
on the bike and on what my
mechanic is doing. And if I can find
a moment alone, I like to close my
eyes, not talk, not move, and just
relax and concentrate. I think about
the previous races at the same track
and what happened there. I go
through the circuit in my mind,
thinking about what lines I am
going to take and what gear I
should be in. Then I decide where
the tight point is going to be on the
start and make a plan to avoid this
critical point. You see many of the
same hazards repeat themselves, so
1 try and find a way around them
and have a spare solution handy.
Q—Have you found that a strict and if so will prescribe them. I
diet helps your overall performance? really don’t eat a lot of red meat,
A—Not really. Two or three times a
year, I visit my doctor for a com-
plete physical. He determines if my
body is deficient in any vitamins
but 1 am not a strict vegetarian
either. I try to eat lots of fish, fruits,
salads, nuts and high-energy protein
foods. I have found that the most
important thing for me is to eat a
moderate amount of food and
maintain a consistent diet.
Q—Does the amount of sleep affect
your riding ability?
A—Yes, to a certain extent. I don’t
go to bed any earlier before a race
than on other days. 1 think it’s better
Member Motorcycle Safety Foundation
CIRCLE NO. 91 ON READER SERVICE PAGE.
to go to bed even a little bit later
and to sleep a few hours really
sound as opposed to try and sleep
more hours than normal. I know
many riders who make the mistake
of saying ‘oh tomorrow we have the
competition so I ’ll go to bed early'
but they usually feel fatigued the
next day from sleeping too much.
So the night before a race, I usually
go to bed around 11 and get up
about 7.
Q—Do you plan special tactics for
each race?
A—I try to race against myself
instead of other riders. I never go
into a race saying I have to beat this
guy or that guy. I have found that if
I race against another rider, I might
get mad, make mistakes and lose. I
always address myself to the track
and ride as good and as fast as I can.
Q.—Do you find it more difficult to
compete each year?
A—Yes. Mainly because in the last
few years the biggest difference
between competitors is the riders
themselves and not the machines.
With the excellent and very similar
machines being raced today. I think
it really comes down to the athlete's
performance. The competition level
is tougher every year and forces
each rider to try harder just to stay
ahead of his competitors. I know
one thing for sure: if a rider doesn’t
improve his physical and mental
condition and his technical ability
from one season to another, today s
competitors will pass him too easily...
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